


What have we become?

by DeepSpaceElf



Series: Deep Space Reader [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Aliens Made Them Do It, F/M, POV Third Person, Pre-Relationship, Reader-Insert, questioning morals, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:31:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21513736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepSpaceElf/pseuds/DeepSpaceElf
Summary: Y/N is behaving strangely, to the point where she points a phaser at Garak. He knows something is wrong and has to act quickly, but can't bring himself to hurt her.
Relationships: Elim Garak/Reader, Garak/Reader
Series: Deep Space Reader [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878136
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	What have we become?

Y/N was the last person he thought would try to kill him. He adored the human since the very first time they’ve met, several years ago, and he liked to think that she, at least, liked him as well. They even spend the last weekend together on Bajor - alone - and though nothing romantic happened (much to Garak’s annoyance), they both enjoyed the time they spend together. 

However, on the way back to Deep Space Nine, Y/N started to behave strangely. She became quite, her answers were clipped, and the looks she threw him were suspicious. He wondered what he had said or done, but couldn’t come up with anything. 

When he turned around to face her, about to ask her what’s wrong, he was faced with a phaser pointing at his forehead. He looked up, past the finger that was positioned on the trigger, and found her glaring at him. It was one of the seldom times in his life, where he was at a loss. 

“What are you doing?” he asked in a low voice, that he hooped was soothing. 

“I thought that was obvious,” she growled. 

“But why?” he said and hated how disappointed he sounded. 

Her expression darkened even more and she gripped the phaser tighter. “Because why not?” 

Something was very wrong, apart from the obvious. Because “why not kill one of my best friends I have on the station”, was not something Y/N would do. He had to get the phaser out of her hands, preferably without hurting her, though that was nearly impossible. Humans were so damn fragile when it came to their skin and bones. 

Garak scolded himself. He used to kill dozens of people who weren’t threatening his life, and now he was hesitating because she could get a couple of bruises and maybe a broken bone! 

_She also happens to be one of the few friends you have nowadays_, Garak’s inner voice reminded him. _Not to mention you care about her. Deeply_. Sometimes he was his own worst enemy. 

It was then that he noticed her hands shaking. _Interesting…_

“You don’t want to do this,” he said more to himself than to her. 

He got up slowly, his arms up, with his palms towards her. She followed his movements with the phaser but didn’t shoot. The shaking became worse. Good. He could overpower her much easier while standing, and the shaking would make it harder for her to defend herself. 

“Sit down!” she spat. 

“I’m sorry,” he barely whispered and grabbed her hands. The movement was way too quick for her to react, and his grasp was too strong to free herself. Garak hastily pointed the phaser to the roof, before Y/N would consider to shoot him after all. With her hands above her head, he shoved her against the nearest wall. 

“Let me go!” she growled, but Garak ignored her. 

There was still one problem. To disarm her, he needed to readjust his grip, and that would give her enough time to shoot him. The only solution he could think of was knocking her out. A swift blow to the temple knocks every human out, he learned a long time ago.

Y/N kept on kicking and struggling. “Let me go, you overgrown lizard!” 

He raised his hand that wasn’t clasped around hers. How much force was he supposed to use? What if she turned her head, and he would hit her straight in the face? _And you used to be one of the highest-ranked in the Obsidian Order. Look at you now!_ But that was before. Before he was exiled and ended up on Deep Space Nine. Before Y/N decided to be his friend, even though basically everyone around her warned her about him. _And if I really am her friend, I have to bring her safely back to the station and find out what’s wrong with her. And who done it. And I will certainly use my old skills on them! _

His hand came down in one fast move. The moment his fist connected with her temple, she became limp in his arms. He took the phaser out of her hands and threw it carelessly over his shoulder. Carefully he carried her to one of the small cots and laid her down. Already he could see a dark mark forming on the side of her face. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “But I hope you’ll understand.” 

He went back to the console and navigated the shuttle for the remaining distance. As soon as he was in communication range, he hailed the station and informed them of their situation. 

“We’ll transport her as soon as you’re in transporter range,” Kira told him. “Oh, and Garak?”

“Yes?”

“Should I find out that you’re only remotely responsible for her condition, I’ll throw you out of the airlocks myself,” she said, way too sweetly for such a serve thread. 

Garak rolled his eyes. “Understood, though you’ll find that I have absolutely nothing to do with it.”

“We’ll see. Kira out.” 

* * *

Y/N felt like she had been hit by Starship. Her head buzzed, her vision was slightly blurry, and she was so exhausted, she could easily spend the whole day in her bed. Julian had low-key ordered her to do so anyway, but she just couldn’t. Not when she had to discuss things with Garak. 

She climbed out of her bed and stumbled over to the replicator, where she ordered a glass of water for her dry throat. Just when she emptied the glass, the door chimed. 

_Ugh. Whoever it is, they better don’t mind my morning grumpiness… and the mess I call hair… and smelly armpits._ “Come in!”

The door slid open with a soft hiss and Garak stepped in. His movement was rather slow and hesitant, almost insecure. Opposed to usual, when he would simply stride into her quarters, and sat down on the couch, he stopped not far away from the door. Y/N cringed inwardly. This was her fault. 

“Good morning, Garak,” she said way more cheerful than she felt and hoped he would get the hint, that she wasn’t going to kill him again.

“Actually, it’s almost three in the afternoon,” Garak said, his voice as neutral as his expression. 

“Oh…”_ I slept for nearly 18 hours!_ “I just woke up.” _Smooth Y/N, real smooth. _

Garak eyed her up and down. “I can see that.” 

“You probably have a lot of questions. Why don’t you sit down? I hope you don’t mind if I replicate myself some late breakfast. Do you want something?” She wanted to defuse the tense mood between them. 

For a moment she thought her rambling wasn’t helping matters, but it actually seemed to make Garak a little more relaxed. His shoulders seemed less tense, though his movements were still cautious. 

“Just a tea, my dear,” he said as he said down on her couch. 

She could feel the Cardassian’s eyes watching her closely, as she went over to the replicator, to get them both tea. She took the time to think about what she should say. Or rather how. Y/N remembered every second of the incident, from the sudden annoyance for her friend, that slowly but steadily developed to full-blown hated, to the moment he knocked her out. It was the intensity of the feelings that shocked her the most. She adored Garak, far more than she would ever admit out loud, and to be convinced to actually hate him so much that she wanted to kill him… Though nothing happened, she felt guilty for having these thoughts, even when they were gone by now. 

She placed a cup of red leave in front of him. She kept her cup in her hands, feeling better to have something to occupy her hands with, and sat down next to him, though not as close as she usually would. Her eyes were focused on the liquid inside her cup, still wondering what to say and Garak still wanted her closely. 

After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. “Garak, I’m so sorry. I-”

“There is no need to apologies, my dear,” the Cardassian said and took a sip. “Our dear friend Doctor Bashir told me, it was an unknown form of virus, which meddles with the brain.” 

She looked up and found Garak looking at her with a soft expression, she rarely saw on his face. Relief was floating through her body. He wasn’t blaming her and their friendship continued, it was more than she dared to hope. Yet the nagging feeling of guilt wouldn’t vanish. “Still, I feel terrible for what happened. I-I can’t believe I wanted to… to-”

Garak took her cup carefully from her hands and placed it on the table. He took her trembling fingers in his much larger hands. His heart broke a little at the sight of her, and how she looked at him searchingly. She still wasn’t sure he had forgiven her, even though it wasn’t her fault. “Nothing happened, Y/N,” he said in a low voice. “And what good does it make, to dwell on possibilities that never happened, hm?” 

Tears started to burn behind her eyes, and she tried her best to force them down. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “I care for you, Garak and I would have hated myself if I had hurt you.”

Garak squeezed her hands. “I know, my dear. And I hope you know the sentiment is mutual.” 

_The question is if it’s a good thing, or if it will eventually cause my downfall. _


End file.
